falloutfanonfandomcom-20200222-history
Grand Central
Grand Central (Or 'The City of Grand Central' to give its full title) is the largest single settlement in the Detroit Wasteland. The city is based around the pre-war Michigan Grand Central station, which survived the Great War and its subsequent aftermath relatively intact. History Following several years of harsh winters in the greater Michigan Wastelands in the 2130s, people began to migrate back towards the largely abandoned ruins of Detroit seeking shelter. Those that did often sought out the largest, still-standing buildings as places to build new homes and new lives, or at the very least, to offer them some protection from the ravages of exposure, starvation, disease and the various dangers of the wastelands. One such structure settled in this way was Michigan Grand Central Station, which had survived the war and the subsequent collapse of civilisation with relatively little damage. The first settlers arrived in the station in 2138, finding it suitable for their needs. Despite its size, the structure was mostly clean from infestation. There was a surprising lack of Ghouls, with only a few stray ferals found living in the station's upper floors. After clearing them (and the inevitable Radroaches) the settlers chose to stay in the building and see what they could make of it. Initial inspections confirmed that the structure was still sound and had was not running the risk of failure or collapse. While time and neglect had taken its toll on the building, the problems were far from insurmountable and could easily be either repaired or worked around. Most importantly, those settlers found that the reactor installed in the station's basement during its 2060s renovation was still functional. Restarting it provided them with an abundance of power, enough to get lighting working throughout much of the building itself. Stories of the station began to spread, with more settlers flocking to it, seeking refuge from the hazards of the wastelands. Very quickly, the station came to resemble an overcrowded shanty town, which lead to shortages and violence. In order to counteract this and prevent their new home from descending into chaos, senior members of the groups within the settlement met and worked out a provisional government, naming themselves the City of Grand Central. In addition, a law enforcement and security decision was formed to protect the fledgling city from outside attacks and internal problems. At first the Grand Central Police Department was a very ad-hoc formation, but it quickly began to develop a more professional air. The city slowly grew and by the mid-2150s had begun to reach its current form. Initially just focused on the Grand Central building itself, the community grew outwards out of necessity over time. Several collapsed buildings nearby were converted into reservoirs, thanks to the efforts of several skilled engineers who were able to set up water purification facilities. Likewise, some rudimentary crops were established in the open space around the building itself. This growth attracted the attention of several nearby communities, with Grand Central establishing trade routes with other settlements that had grown up across the Detroit Wasteland. Trading for food became essential, as the meagre croplands established by the city probed to be unable to sustain its population. A famine in 2156 following a particularly bad winter proved the point, with the city resorting to rationing to survive. Unfortunately, it also garnered attention of a less favourable sort, with raiders seeing the city as being a target ripe for the picking. Following several such attacks, the GCPD began to fortify the city, building defensive walls and setting up turrets around the exterior in order to protect its citizenry. Not every project was a success, however. The Railyards began as an ambitious project to expand the city's living space, but instead became its biggest failure. Foreseeing a need to give the city more room to grow, in 2190, then-Mayor Stilton Jarlsberg authorised a program to clear and settle the rail yards beyond the building proper. This lead to a lengthy and often bloody battle to clean out the feral ghouls that were nesting there, with the GCPD suffering not insignificant casualties before the area was deemed 'safe.' Unfortunately, despite the so-called success, the city had a hard time convincing members of its populace to leave the safety of the actual structure and re-settle in the far less protected and more exposed railyards. Added to this, the yards themselves proved to be much harder to defend, with Feral Ghoul and Raider attacks becoming a problem. By 2195, the city had all-but abandoned the district, with much of the Rail Yards walled off and abandoned. What was left quickly devolved into a slum, filled with the city's poorest people. The City's next biggest challenge came from an external threat. In 2201, an army of Raiders, under the command of the self-declared Warlord Killmeister launched a campaign to size the city and make it their new capitol and base of operations. After first cutting off supply routes, the raider army moved on Grand Central itself, laying siege to the city. After two weeks they elected to attack, expecting to find a weak and demoralised opposition on the brink of collapse and willing to surrender in exchange for food. Instead they faced unexpectedly harsh opposition from the get-go, with their forces facing not only the GCPD on the city's walls, but also the very determined populace within. Many of the citizens had volunteered to aid the city in its time of crisis, massively bolstering the defenders' strength. The raider attack failed, with their army crumbling. Warlord Killmeister himself was captured, given a show trial and subsequently executed with much fanfare. While the city had suffered some damage, most notably to its outer reaches and defences, the rebuilding process was relatively straightforward. This proved to be needed as the city faced another threat. The death of Warlord Killmeister and the fall of his army had created a power vacuum, one that was exploited by the Super Mutants of Zug Island. Becoming more aggressive, the mutants began to attack the city’s perimeter, including its patrols and trade caravans. On a few occasions, they even were so bold as to attack the city itself. As their numbers swelled in the 2240s, the pace and intensity of the mutant attacks increased, forcing the GCPD to step up their own operations and even hire mercenaries to reduce the mutant threat. Eventually the Super mutants were driven back, but would never be fully contained. That Grand Central was the closest settlement to Zug Island ensured that they would never be fully safe from attack. Despite these problems, life in the city itself remained relatively stable and secure, especially for those living inside the station tower itself. While the city’s population and economy continued to grow, their external relationships remained somewhat cool and tended towards isolationism. Grand Central had never had the best of relations with the relatively nearby Park Lane, seeing the community as being a hub of scum and villainy due to it’s support for the mercenary trade (That Grand Central had hired some of those mercenaries in past was apparently beside the point). When the Army of Revolution began to attack settlements in the 2260s, Grand Central opted not to get involved; their geographic location meant that they were largely beyond the Revolutionaries’ reach, and as such, the attacks were seen as being somebody else’s problem. This attitude would continue to prevail until the Revolutionary War. While news of the large-scale invasion of the Detroit Wasteland, including the fall of two of its settlements to the attackers did reach the ears of its people, there was a by and large air of indifference to the whole matter. The frontline of the conflict was nowhere near the city, and there was a feeling that Grand Central’s walls and defences would make it safe from any attack. While Mayor Jackson Stone wanted to stop the attackers before they got near the city, he faced a civic council that was largely indifferent to the problem and an electorate that was opposed to using the GCPD to fight other people’s battles. It was not until the frontlines of the war reached downtown that people began to take notice. With Park Lane in the line of fire, all of a sudden the situation became a lot more urgent. While few in the city had any love for the rival settlement, there was an acknowledgement that if Park Lane fell, Grand Central would be next. This swing of opinion gave Mayor Stone the leverage he needed to take a more active approach to the problem, contributing not only to the hiring of the Black Skull Company to help turn back the invasion, but also sending GCPD officers to assist in the fighting. At the end of the war, Grand Central had remained largely untouched by the conflict, but now faced the renewed threat of the Zug Island Super Mutants. Internally, many of its citizens congratulated themselves on their contribution to the war effort, and began to see themselves as being the saviours of the Detroit Wasteland from the Army of Revolution. Movement began to not only take a greater role in the affairs of the region, but for Grand Central to step up as being some sort of leader of the Detroit communities. The time between the end of the Revolutionary War and the start of 2287 was one of frustration and contradiction within Grand Central. Mayor Stone continued to push for greater cooperation with the other settlements in the Detroit Wasteland in the hope of building a more formal alliances. He cited the losses that they had suffered during the Revolutionary War and just how close the Revolutionaries had come to capturing Park Lane as a good reason to cooperate in the hope that such events would never happen again. Unfortunately for mayor Stone, his ideals and dreams fell well short of the reality of the situation. Park lane and Chryslus Castle refused to cooperate, the result of years of long-standing distrust and a dispute over the political future of Scrap Iron City. The fact that said settlement was under the control of the Army of Revolution seemed to matter little, as the pair of them were instead arguing over what would happen to it in the off-chance that the Revolutionaries were driven out of the settlement. On top of this, Stone faced opposition from within as well. While there was some degree of talk between him and the Park Lane civic council about trade and cooperation, many within Grand Central opposed any deeper engagement with the community. Their reasons were many and varied, ranging from their dislike of Park Lane’s politics and involvement with mercenaries to the risk of raider attack. In many cases, it became clear that Stone’s detractors were just fishing for excuses simply because they didn’t like Park lane and its people. The result was that this time was squandered, along with the good faith and spirit of cooperation that had grown up after the end of the Revolutionary War. While there were some trade agreements signed, they fell well short of Mayor Stone’s dreams of unifying the people of the Detroit Wastelands. However, soon events would force the city to divert their attentions elsewhere. In early 2287, Grand Central suffered a series of attacks by Zug Island Super Mutants. Always a threat, the Mutants had suddenly become more aggressive in their actions. They were now roaming further from their island home, preying on whatever got in their way. While Grand Central itself was well fortified enough to withstand their attacks, their trade caravans, scavengers and other assets in the field were at risk. To make matters worse, the few Mutant attacks on the city itself created a panic as the population became convinced that they were about to be invaded. In response, Mayor Stone hired Black Skull Company to help deal with the Mutant threat. Knowing full well that the mercenaries weren’t going to risk attacking Zug Island again, he instead asked that they contain the Super Mutants and deter future attacks. While members of the city council baulked at the idea of paying for mercenaries, they also had to admit that it was a better option then risk further attacks. Fortunately for Mayor Stone, the Mercenaries did their job, drastically reducing the number of attacks in short order. However, it was other events that would most shape Stone’s plans for the future. An overnight fire destroyed the settlement of Baggie High, one of those claimed by the Army of Revolution. In an instant, their presence in the city had been suddenly reduced, a fact that nobody could ignore. Messages ran back and forth between Grand Central, Park Lane and Chryslus Castle as each community tried to push their own plans for what to do next, but as always, there was very little actual consensus between them. The gridlock came to an end after a fashion in March 2287 with the sudden assassination of most of the Park Lane City council in a terrorist bomb attack. Mayor Stone immediately reached out to Park Lane’s acting mayor, Vance Stratton, offering assistance. Their subsequent victory over the Scrap Dogs saw Park Lane rebuff those offers, clearly unwilling to admit that they needed help from their enemies. Disappointed, Mayor Stone withdrew the offer, while openly questioning Stratton’s decisions. Those moves would come back to haunt all involved in April when a massive force consisting of the Army of Revolution along with Raiders and Mercenaries descended on Park Lane. After a fierce battle, the town fell to the invaders, sending a wave of refugees surging towards Grand Central. Among them was Vance Stratton, who, with Stone’s support, set up a government in exile in Grand Central. All of this caused another panic within the city. Having just been saved from the Super Mutants, the people of Grand Central now became convinced that they were going to be invaded by the Army of Revolution instead. The subsequent defeat of the Black Skull Company, with the mercenaries also retreating to Grand Central, only served to heighten the sense of impending doom. Under Stone’s direction, the GCPD did their best to reinforce the city’s defences and prepare for what seemed to be inevitable. Rumours of a split within the Army of Revolution did little to help quell their fears. As if this was not enough, June 2287 saw the city’s scheduled mayoral elections. These served only to make things worse when Ibrahim Mansour, the only other candidate, dropped out of the race. Analysts suggested that Mansour simply did not want to be the leader of the city if it fell to the Revolutionaries, and had withdrawn to save himself. The result was that Stone was re-elected unopposed, although he still had to deal with a divided city that was living in fear. Salvation appeared from an unlikely angle in August in the form of the mysterious Forgemaster. The enigmatic figure sent an invitation to Grand Central to attend a summit being held at Bob’s Tavern, a respected neutral venue in the Detroit Wastelands. Stone chose to attend, and found himself there alongside Vance Stratton, as well as representatives from Chryslus Castle, the Black Skull Company and the Foundry itself. The Forgemaster, cutting an intimidating figure in their Power Armour suit, delivered a clear statement of their intent. They wanted to free Park Lane, drive the Revolutionaries out of the city and end their threat permanently. Stone wholeheartedly supported this goal, even if he knew that it would be difficult to sell it to his electorate. None the less, he went away with a compromise idea that allowed him to make his own goals palatable to the city’s concerns. Turning to the CGPD, Stone sought out volunteers who would be willing to join the Forgemasrter’s army and aid in the liberation of Park Lane from the Revolutionaries. He sold them on the idea that it was better to take the fight to the attackers rather than risk an invasion of the city, a move that won him some support. Using these tactics, Stone was able to build a small but still substantial volunteer force that he entrusted to the Forgemaster. While they were largely auxiliaries to the liberation of the Castle (the headquarters of the Black Skull Company), the GCPD volunteer force served in the front lines during the battle for Park Lane. While they did suffer losses, the volunteers none the less fought bravely and performed well against the Revolutionaries and their allies. After two days of fighting, Park Lane had been freed, with the GCPD volunteers lauded for their efforts (even if they had been talked up by the Forgemaster). The surviving GCPD members were released back to Grand Central by the Forgemaster, where they were hailed as heroes by Stone and the city as a whole. The air of fear and anxiety that had overtaken the city had vanished, replaced instead by a growing confidence. The liberation of Park Lane had substantially diminished the threat of the Army of Revolution and, while they still had a presence in the Detroit Wasteland, they were now safely removed from Grand Central’s vicinity Stone took this confidence to the Forgemaster’s next summit, where they outlined their vision for the future of the Detroit Wasteland. Key to which was the permanent presence of the Foundry in the city, who would serve as the protectors of Grand Central and Scrap Iron City. Stone immediately saw the potential in this arrangement, and opened negotiations with Chryslus Castle to build an alliance to counterbalanace the Foundry’s influence. He found them to be suddenly far more receptive then they had been in past, paving the way for increased cooperation between the two settlements. Description Grand Central is divided up into several major areas. The first and best known is the heart of the city itself, the old Michigan Grand Central Station, Having survived the war largely intact, the structure was repurposed into a vertical habitat. Today, most of the city's population lives in the large tower section of the station, dwelling in apartments built out of what was once intended to be office space. (In an ironic twist, the station's tower space is now more completely utilised then it ever was before the war). In general, living conditions within the tower are cramped but functional, with residents glad to put up with small spaces in exchange for the security that the building offers, as well as regular supplies of light, heat and clean water. In general, living conditions in the tower are the best in the Detroit Wastes. The Mayor's office as well as the city council are also found in the tower, inhabiting the top few floors. The lower areas of the tower, the former station areas, are given over to markets and commerce. The Grand Central Markets are always busy, and are home to just about every service and store one could expect to find in the wastelands. Traders come from across the Detroit and Michigan areas to buy and sell goods, while the local populace use the markets to stock up on supplies. The markets are also home to several bars as well as an inn that caters to visiting traders. This area is also home to the GCPD, who have their headquarters and lock-up in the station's old baggage handling area. Basement areas of the building are given over to infrastructure. Much of the car parking space was removed in Grand Central's 2060s renovation to make way for a reactor to power the building. That same reactor provides the city with its power and lighting, but also requires a lot of maintenance work to keep operational. Much of the maintenance staff live in this areas so they can be constantly on-hand to deal with any problems that emerge. Outside the city itself lies the Railyards, the disorganised shantytown that grew out of the city's failed expansion plans. Many of the structures here are simple, thrown-together shacks, or are repurposed railway carriages. Living conditions here are terrible, with clean water and power nearly non-existent. The Railyards are largely lawless, with GCPD largely only concerned with protecting the area from external attacks, rather than actually keeping order. As such, prostitution, gambling and chems are rife in the area, even if they are absent from inside. The Rail Yards are home to the city's poorest people, including those that have often emigrated from outside communities. It is also home to the city's Ghoul population; while there are no laws preventing their living in the city proper, they are rarely seen as welcome. Finally, the city's boundaries also encompass the open area around the station, as well as the ruins of a couple of nearby buildings. These are given over to both water and croplands, providing much of the city's supply. These areas are well patrolled, especially after the failed invasion of 2250. Population Grand Central is the largest and most populous community in the Detroit Wasteland, a result of its early rise as well as the presence of a pre-existing, large, secure structure for its people. Broadly speaking, those living within the tower proper have the highest standards of living for those within the Detroit Wasteland, with a secure roof over their heads, access to clean water and a reliable food supply. However, those living outside the city proper or in the rail yards are usually a lot worse off, with the latter more resembling a shanty town then anything else. (Although even then, the poorest person in the Rail Yards is still better off then somebody living in Arsetown). The Grand Central community is, as such, somewhat divided between the “haves” and “have nots”, but there are few on either side who would want to live anywhere else. The majority of the Grand Central population are humans, including almost all of the tower dwellers. While there are no laws banning Ghouls from the city or the tower, the truth is that they are rarely seen as being welcome. As a result, the majority of the city’s Ghoul population live in the Rail Yards where the tower dwellers can largely ignore them. Conversely, Super Mutants are entirely unwelcome in the city, and are usually treated with a ‘shoot on sight’ response. Finally, the city has a small staff of old Protectron and Mister Handy robots that were a part of the pre-war facilities. These robots are used in the maintenance and operation of city facilities, especially the generators and the water pumps. Grand Central Police Department The defence and policing of the city is the responsibility of the Grand Central Police Department, or GCPD for short. Having started out as a makeshift citizen’s militia, the GCPD has evolved over the years into an organised, professional force of full-time personnel. Internally, the GCPD constitutes the entirety of the city’ criminal justice system, dealing with crimes in a straightforward matter with no trial or jury. Punishment for minor crimes are usually fines or having to spend time in the lock-up. More severe offences are usually punished with exile from the city. In the advent of violence, the GCPD has the authority to shoot in sight. Externally, the GCPD is the front line of defence against attacks. The force mans the watchtowers and gun turrets on the city’s walls, as well as mounting regular patrols around the perimeter of the city. In the advent that a large-scale incursion of Super Mutants (or other hostile forces) is encountered, the patrols will usually send runners back to the city to provide a warning whole the rest of the team tries to delay the attackers. The relative wealth of Grand Central has allowed it to outfit the GCPD with something resembling a standard issue kit. All officers wear security uniforms with clearly identifiable badges, as well as security armour. Those operating inside the city all carry batons and 10mm pistols, while those on patrol often have heavier weapons like automatic rifles or submachine guns. Notable Inhabitants Jackson Stone Since being elected Mayor in 2282, Jackson Stone has been trying to run the city towards a reformist agenda. While he appreciates the wealth of the city (being born and raised in a tower family), he also feels that Grand Central could do more with its wealth and power then just hoarding it all. Mayor Stone has been a vocal proponent of greater cooperation with other communities beyond simply just trading, He sees the relationship between Park Lane and Grand Central as being especially problematic, with the two communities having a long-standing rivalry for no real reason. Ironically, the Revolutionary War did much to further his agenda by forcing Grand Central to aid other communities. Despite his position, Jackson Stone has a reputation of being a straightforward and honest man, and a genuinely pleasant person. He is married with two children and a dog that can often be found sleeping in his office. Bob Robertson Jr. Bob Robertson Jr. Joined the GCPD as soon as he was old enough to, and worked his way up through the ranks from a patrol officer. His drive and loyalty to the city, as well as a dedication to the job, saw him eventually rise to the position of Police Chief, the overall commander of the GCPD, a position he has held for the last decade. Bob Robertson Jr. has a rather over-inflated opinion of himself, and has been known to act like he personally is the only thing standing between the city and complete chaos. Since the Revolutionary War, he has also been painting himself as being a war hero for his role in the conflict. A role that he has rather overstated, since he never left Grand Central itself and the forces he contributed to the campaign were placed under the Black Skull Company’s command. Category:Communities Category:Places Category:Michigan